


Small Steps Can Complete Long Journeys

by Stormysongbird



Series: (re)Written!Verse [9]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M, Gen, a little something, set post chapter 9, small steps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 08:05:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormysongbird/pseuds/Stormysongbird
Summary: Set during "The Summer of Doom"The Five Times Jenny Calendar and Rupert Giles Ran Into Each Other





	Small Steps Can Complete Long Journeys

**Author's Note:**

> Well this is the first installment of our current batch of hiatus fics. This one is going to be a multi chapter of the five times Jenny saw Giles between turning down his proposal and making up in the school closet. I'm hoping to get this finished before we finish season three and really hope you enjoy chapter 1!

Not only did that ass trash her apartment and drug her but Ethan Rayne had broken Jenny’s crystal ball. Well not broken it per say but he was there when it had been smashed. And been the one to throw it. Either way she needed a new one. And she didn’t trust ordering online. Nothing against computers and the internet, goddess no! She just didn’t trust that her merchandise wouldn’t be broken in transit. So she had called the local magic shop. They had to at least have one of those. Besides, Jenny hadn’t been out of the house besides that journey through hell at the grocery store. Plus the “parent trap” shitshow at the beach. The technopagan was starting to feel a little bit... lonely. And calling her family had not been helpful.

\---

“So Mama I was seeing this guy...”

“Is he Phral?”

“...no.”

“Janna you are not getting any younger. Enyos has told me you have cast away vampire. When are you going to come home? There is very nice boy, Ivan you remember, Elder Woman says will be very successful. He is cousin of your sister Florica. Oh! Did she not tell you she had the baby? Such a fine head of hair...”

\---

She always hung up feeling worse. So she attempted to make Pirogo the same way her mother would and ate it while watching a sappy romantic movie. Someone should have a happy ending.

But today was different. Today, Jenny was starting to feel almost human. She’d gotten up, made her bed, didn’t tear up when she saw Rupert’s stuff in her bathroom and medicine cabinet, and made a really nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. Little steps. Little steps on the way back to competent adulthood. Besides, Rupert always liked his eggs sunny side up. It hurt a lot less to think about him too. Little steps.

After scrubbing the frying pan, she logged on to check in with her coven, who were emailing her because they hadn’t seen her in over a week. Nice people when they weren’t chatting about dire portends of doom. Annalise had even sent her some of those funny animal cartoons she liked. Jenny made a note to try and find some celebrity scandal pics that wouldn’t infect her system for the South African Wicca. The blonde went nuts for that stuff. The rest would probably go for some crystals and tiny statues fresh from the hellmouth. It would probably be a good idea to hit the magic shop now.

Shoving her keys into the pocket of her purse, Jenny heard the bell jingle as she pushed open the door. There was a woman behind the counter now who chirped a cheerful “Blessed be!” as she took off her sunglasses. Ignoring the perky greeting she walked up to the counter. “I called about a crystal ball an hour ago.” She may be feeling like her old self, but her old self had never had any patience for blonde teenyboppers who seemed like they had more air in their heads than brains. Buffy being the one exception.

Without missing a beat, the young woman who’s name tag read “Britney” nodded and replied. “Yes indeed! Just a minute and I’ll wrap it up. Would you also like to buy one of our love spells? All you need are some crystals, rose petals, and catnip. 30 percent off!” Jenny leveled Britney a long look. For just a second she was tempted to cast an ACTUAL curse on this little idiot. Or tell her why, no, she REALLY didn’t want a love spell. She made enough ripples in her own love life without using magic on it.

“Just wrap it.”

That seemed to rattle the girl off her and she scuttled off to the back room. Maybe that had been a bit much, the older woman knew she looked had a tendency to be...blunt. Maybe she wasn’t as back to normal as she’d thought. Rubbing her forehead, Jenny turned around to take a look at some of the occult books. Might be nice to see some new interpretations of the tarot. They were all the way in the back. Rummaging around in her purse to find her wallet, just pay and go back home, she turned around.

And three steps later found herself face to face with Rupert Giles. Rupert Giles holding another book that looked so old and frail that a dirty look would make it crumble. Rupert Giles who looked about as stunned to see her as she was to see him.

“Rupert...” Jenny twisted her hands as she shook her hair behind her shoulders. When was the last time she had given it anything resembling style? She suddenly couldn’t remember.

“J-Jenny.” The glasses were off and he was polishing them on the edge of his jacket. “What, erm, what are you doing here?”

Well a technopagan in a magic shop was kind of a strange sight....it took all of Jenny’s concentration to not say that out loud as Giles slid his glasses back on. Instead she said. “My crystal ball was broken.” He had to have remembered that.

It appeared he did remember. And was incapable of making eye contact. “Right...right. Erm, good luck with your...ball.” Oh the number of things she could have done with that, Jenny felt a small smirk tug at the corners of her mouth. Rupert, probably hearing that phrase in his head, looked away his cheeks turning pink. This was...better than the beach. Then again she didn’t feel on display in a bathing suit, none of her students were watching her, and it wasn’t a set up. There was nothing here for Jenny to raise her hackles over, she was hackle free. She played with the strap on her purse. “And you?” She looked pointedly at the book, trying to get a glance at the title. “Oh.” He held it up. It was something about sea monsters. “There’s really a, a marvelous selection here.” He fidget with his glasses but didn’t take them off again. “I’ll...be sure to check it out sometime.” She responded.

This was some pretty decent small talk. There wasn’t that same squeezing pain in her chest this time. She chewed on her bottom lip and glanced around. Oh! Thank the goddess there was Britney holding up a bag at the register. “I should um...” Jenny inclined her head to the front of the store. “Right.” Rupert took a small step back.

Apparently that was all they were going to say. Jenny nodded and walked towards the cash register. She had paid for her crystal ball (damn forgot the knickknacks for the coven) and was headed out the door when she heard it.

“Er...Jenny!”

Before she knew it she was turning back around and making eye contact.

“For what it’s worth,” his eyes looked so earnest. “I am sorry. About everything.”

What did that mean? Was he apologizing for the beach? For the behavior of the kids? For that night? Was it an apology that meant he hoped to patch things up and move on? Or that...he wanted to put the past behind him. Instead of asking these questions, Jenny gave him a sad smile.

“I’m sorry too.”

And with that she walked out the door.


End file.
